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Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Lie Witness News - SOU

Lie Witness News
State of the Union Edition

People react to President Barack Obama's
 State of the Union speech
BEFORE 
it happened!!!!
President Obama's State of The Union speech had not yet taken place when we asked these people what they thought of it, 
but that didn't stop them from weighing in. 
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Sunday, January 26, 2014

Gong Xi Fa Cai - 2014 - Chinese New Year


January 31
 
Horse  馬 午


!!! 恭喜发财 !!!
Gong Xi Fa Cai
 
 
Lunar New Year 2014
Year of the
馬   Mǎ    Horse        Wǔ


Horse Sign
Meaning a burning flame or sun, sign of plants at their end.
Those born under the sign of the Horse are a flexible group of people. They tend to be stubborn when it comes their ideas, but they are also incredibly patient when it comes to hearing out what other people have to say. They favor straight forward, occasionally blunt conversation. And yet they generally avoid starting up any unnecessary trouble. This combination then makes those under the Horse sign a bit of a puzzle to the people around them. Though this certainly does not stop people from trying to figure them out.

In spite of some of their misgivings, Horses are also incredibly loyal friends and partners. Perhaps it is because first impressions have a lasting effect, or simply that they are inclined to do well by others. Whatever the case for an individual, however, they are consistently there when friends need a person to turn to or a shoulder to lean on. They are also quite capable of resolving conflicts, both their own and other people's. Altogether then, those born under the sign of the Horse are some of the most favored members of society; and though they don't often aspire to greatness they tend to achieve a manner of it through the compliments and adoration of their friends.
 
 The color red is used because it is considered a color that wards off evil and symbolizes Good Luck.

It is said that odd number of bills, coins or the total of the money given must not add up to an odd number (like 3,5,7,9, etc.), but either must be an even number or end with an “8″ in the ones column (like $88.00, $168.00, etc.) as they are considered auspicious or “good” numbers. Any money must not total the numbers, 4, 40,44,444, etc., as the pronunciation of the word “four” in Chinese dialects resembles the word for death, a bad omen.
    
Red envelopes are also given to newlyweds in China.


You can activate Good Luck on this day by burning red candles anointed with “Fast Luck” oil to activate the goodness of the New Year and the first New Moon.

History of Chinese New Year

The Chinese New Year Festival is the most significant holiday for Chinese people around the world, regardless of the origin of their ancestors. It is also known as the Lunar New Year Festival because it is based on the lunar calendar as opposed to the Gregorian calendar. The holiday is a very jubilant occasion mainly because it is the time when people take a break from work to get together with family and friends.
The origin of the Chinese New Year Festival can be traced back thousands of years through a continually evolving series of colourful legends and traditions. One of the most famous legends is that of Nien, an extremely cruel and ferocious beast, which the Chinese believe, eats people on New Year’s Eve. To keep Nien away, red-paper couplets are pasted on doors, torches are lit, and firecrackers are set off throughout the night, because Nien is said to fear the colour of red, the light of fire, and loud noises. Early the next morning, as feelings of triumph and renewal fill the air at successfully keeping Nien away for another year, the most popular greeting heard is kung-hsi, or “congratulations.”


Even though Chinese New Year celebrations generally only last for several days, starting on New Year’s Eve, the festival itself is actually about three weeks long. It begins on the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, the day, it is believed, when various gods ascend to heaven to pay their respects and report on household affairs to the Jade Emperor, the supreme Taoist deity. According to tradition, households busily honor these gods by burning ritualistic paper money to provide for their traveling expenses. Another ritual is to smear malt sugar on the lips of the Kitchen God, one of the traveling deities, to ensure that he either submits a favorable report to the Jade Emperor or keeps silent.
Next, “spring couplets” are hung up around the house. Spring couplets are paper scrolls and squares inscribed with blessings and auspicious words, such as “good fortune,” “wealth,” “longevity,” and “springtime.” The paper squares are usually pasted upside down, because the Mandarin Chinese word for “upside down,” Tao, is a homonym of the word “arrival.” Thus, the paper squares represent the “arrival” of spring and the “coming” of prosperous times.

On lunar New Year’s Eve, family members who are no longer living at home make a special effort to return home for reunion and share in a sumptuous meal. At that time, family members hand out “lucky money” in red envelopes to elders and children and stay up all night to welcome the New Year. Chinese people have long believed that staying awake all night on New Year’s Eve would help their parents to live a longer life. Thus, lights are kept on the entire night–not just to drive away Nien, as in ancient times, but also as an excuse to make the most of the family get-together. Some families even hold religious ceremonies after midnight to welcome the God of the New Year into their homes, a ritual that is often concluded with a huge barrage of firecrackers.

http://www.picgifs.com/graphics/c/chinese-new-year/graphics-chinese-new-year-192035.gif
Gong Xi Fa Cai
!!!  恭喜发财  !!!
 
 

 



Saturday, January 25, 2014

NASA: Terrifying Decades of Global Warming (Video)

NASA Graphic Shows
Six Terrifying Decades
Of Global Warming
(VIDEO)

Despite the recent polar vortex and the efforts of some to suggest otherwise, global warming is happening. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA have both said that the 10 warmest years in history happened since 2000. 97 percent of working climate scientists believe climate change is due to the actions of humans
And the risk to the planet is even greater than some scientists thought

A visualization released Tuesday by NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, which monitors global surface temperatures, shows how much warmer the Earth is in comparison to a 1951-1980 baseline
But be warned, it's not comforting to watch.

Not A Drop To Drink
A 2012 study from the U.S. Forest Service found that without "major adaptation efforts," parts of the U.S. are likely to see "substantial future water shortages." Climate change, especially for the Southwest U.S., can both increase water demand and decrease water supply.

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Worsening Allergies
The spring 2013 allergy season could be one of the worst ever,thanks to climate change. Experts say that increased precipitation, along with an early spring, late-ending fall and higher levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide may bring more pollen from plants and increased mold and fungal growth.

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A Bumpier Ride?
Researchers in Britain have found that climate change could cause increased turbulence for transatlantic flights by between 10 and 40 percent by 2050.

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An International Tragedy
Research by British government found that climate change may have contributed to a famine in East Africa that killed between 50,000 and 100,000 people in 2010 and 2011. At least 24 percent of the cause of a lack of major rains in 2011 can be attributed to man-made greenhouse gases, Met Office modeling showed.

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A Mighty Wind
The dramatic and rapid loss of sea ice in recent years has consequences beyond the Arctic. Scientists have found the melting shifts the position of the Jet Stream, bringing cold Arctic air further south and increasing the odds of intense snow storms and extreme spring weather.

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An Itch You Can't Scratch
Research indicates that increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide result in larger poison ivy plants. Even worse, climate change will mean that the plant's irritating oil will also get more potent.

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Gators In The Yard
North American alligators require a certain temperature range for survival and reproduction, traditionally limiting them to the southern U.S. But warming temperatures could open new turf to gators with more sightings farther north.
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Melting Blitz In South America
High in the Peruvian Andes, parts of the world's largest tropical ice sheet have melted at an unbelievable pace. Scientists found that significant portions of the Quelccaya Ice Cap that took over 1,600 years to form have melted in only 25 years. 

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Wine To Go?  
Along with other agricultural impacts, climate change may have a dramatic effect on the world's most famous winemaking regions in coming decades. Areas suitable for grape cultivation may shrink, and temperature changes may impact the signature taste of wines from certain regions. 

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Home Sweet Home
Thanks to climate change, low-lying island nations may have to evacuate, and sooner than previously expected. Melting of the Greenland and west Antarctic ice sheets has been underestimated, scientists say, and populations in countries like the Maldives, Kiribati, Tuvalu and others may need to move within a decade. 

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A Damper On Your Raw Bar?
Experts speculate that warming oceans may have played a part in a strain of herpes that has killed Pacific oysters in Europe in recent years. 

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The Color-Changing Bears
As Arctic ice melts and polar bears see more of their habitat disappear, the animals could lose their famous white coats. Researchers have already witnessed polar bears hybridizing with their brown cousins, but note that it would take thousands of years from them to adapt themselves out of existence.

Sour Apples
Apples produced in one Himalayan state of India are already losing their taste and even turning sour, experts say. Increased rainfall and erratic weather in the region mean less than ideal conditions for famously-sweet Kashmiri apples.

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A Cold Cup Of Coffee
Climate change may dramatically shrink the area suitable for coffee cultivation by the end of the century and cause the extinction of Arabica coffee plants in the wild. Starbucks has already declared that "Addressing climate change is a priority
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